


toothache

by mvrcredi



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Based on a Tumblr Post, Demon Tony Stark, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Human Steve Rogers, M/M, No Romance, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Some Humor, Wisdom Teeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 06:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18750988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvrcredi/pseuds/mvrcredi
Summary: Steve finds a stranger with recently removed wisdom teeth sitting on his couch, petting his cat.Based on the post by writing-prompt-s:"You get home to find a Demon sitting in the middle of your living room, crying incoherently while petting your cat. It’s only after a long and very confused assessment as well as noting the bandages around their jaw that you realize the Demon just had some of their teeth removed and has somehow transported itself to your home in their VERY loopy state."





	toothache

The moment Steve sees him, he freezes in his tracks. He nearly drops his grocery bags, only managing to keep his grip out of fear of alerting the intruder that was currently petting his cat.

He places down his bags quietly on the kitchen island, backing up further to his knife block. He grabs the biggest knife from the wooden block, and creeps back around the counter to the edge of the living room. Who said he wasn’t allowed to play dirty?

However, upon further inspection, Steve noticed the white bandages patched to the intruder’s face. They looked rather similar to the time Steve had gotten his wisdom teeth removed. As Steve neared, he could hear the man crying softly between babyish utterances towards his cat.

Steve drops his shoulders, abandoning his defensive stance. Whoever this man was, he obviously wasn’t in a state to fend off the owner of the apartment he had broken into. Somehow. Now that Steve thinks about it, there was absolutely no indication of a break-in when he came home. He leaves the knife on the counter.

Steve sighs. “Hey, buddy, whatever this is, take it elsewhere. I don’t know who you are or why you’re in my apartment, but I would like it very much if you would leave.”

“Huh?” The man sniffs, turning his head to look at Steve. His cheeks were swollen. Yeah, he’d definitely gotten some teeth removed.

“You’re in _my_ house. A _stranger_ in _my_ house,” Steve urges. The man blinks up at him, looks at the cat, then back up at Steve.

“Huh,” he repeats, though less like a question. “That’s not right.”

Steve furrows his brows. “What do you mean that’s not right? Of course it isn’t! You don’t live here! Do you live somewhere else in the building, perhaps? Not that I’ve seen you...” Steve grumbles.

“No, I don’t...” the man trails off, shaking his head. “I must’ve made a mistake.”

“Clearly,” Steve rolls his eyes. “Look, I’ll help you find your way home or whatever, as long as it gets you out of my apartment. Deal?”

The man nods, to himself or Steve’s offer, Steve isn’t quite sure. He says nothing, continuing to nod as if he couldn’t wrap his brain around what Steve was proposing. Steve guesses the man soon forgets, as he goes back to petting the cat without another word.

“Hey, pal, I was talking to you,” Steve grits, stomping over to pick up his cat. The stranger’s expression tells Steve he’s about to start crying again. Steve softens a tad, but keeps the cat in his arms.

“My face hurts,” the man mumbles, pouting.

“I get that,” Steve huffs. “My face hurt too after I got my wisdom teeth removed. It’s no different for anyone. Best I can do is get you an ice pack, then send. You. Home.”

The stranger’s bottom lip quivers. “But I don’t wanna go home. I’ll get made fun of.”

Steve, exasperated, places the cat on the man’s lap, whose expression immediately brightens in doing so. “Buddy, pal, stranger, guy. My friends made fun of me too. Called me a chipmunk. Said the swollen cheeks completed the look. I get it, I’m small and angry, whatever. The pain is temporary so that you don’t lose feeling in your jaw, yeah? Can’t have your wisdom teeth hitting nerves. Quit complaining and go home, please. So what if you get made fun of? Your friends can help you too. Me, however, I don’t want to help some loopy, albeit handsome stranger, okay? Alright? Got that? Good,” Steve is breathing a bit too hard by the end of his rant. The stranger watches intently as Steve uses his inhaler.

The man continues to scratch the cat—that furry little traitor was purring like a motor. “But why let my friends help me when I have a cute blond to take care o’ me?”

Steve pauses. “You think I’m...?” Steve shakes his head, dismissing the comment. “Never mind. I’m not taking care of you, capiche? I don’t even know your name.”

“’S Tony,” the man—Tony, Steve supposes—grins like he had solved the entire issue. As if, in knowing Tony’s name, Steve would more willingly help him. Steve almost scoffs when Tony says, “Your turn.”

“Excuse you?”

“Well,” Tony giggles. “I told you _my_ name.”

“Like talking to a goddamn child,” Steve utters rather grumpily. He’d never been fond of kids. “Fine. I’m Steve. You happy?”

“Very,” Tony beams.

“Perfect. Now that our introductions are out of the way, let’s get this show on the road!” Steve exclaims. He marches over to his fridge to grab an ice pack from the freezer, and marches right back to Tony. Steve pushes it to Tony’s face, grabbing the man’s hand to move it to his cheek in order to hold the pack.

Steve steps back, hands on hips. “So, Tony. Where are you from?”

“Hell,” he states. If he hadn’t said it so nonchalantly, maybe Steve wouldn’t have needed a moment to process. Maybe Steve shouldn’t _have_ to process this—Tony was obviously hopped up on meds.

“I’m sorry,” Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. “Say that again?”

Tony shrugs. “I’m from hell.”

“Like, Hell, Michigan type hell, or—“

“No, actual hell. Like, fiery, souls-of-the-damned hell,” Tony tells him seriously, so _seriously and sincerely,_ leaning forward as if telling Steve a secret. He looks at Steve like he expects him to understand.

Steve snorts, however, it’s more in the nature of deflection. “Right. Hell. I mean, I’m Catholic, but even I’m having trouble believing that’s an actual thing.”

“Oh, silly Steve,” Tony shakes his head, peering down at the cat. He stage whispers, “He’s silly, isn’t he?”

Before either knows it, Tony’s almost weeping again after saying, “You are just. So. _Cute,”_ to the cat. Steve sighs, deciding to drop himself down on the couch next to Tony and his cat. Steve isn’t completely sure what his life has come to. Chatting with a drugged-up stranger saying he’s from hell? Yeah, absolutely no clue. Steve’s just thankful he doesn’t live with Bucky anymore.

Steve clears his throat. “How do you, uh, plan on getting back to, um... hell, exactly?”

“I’unno,” Tony mumbles. “Transport, I guess.”

“Transport?”

“Mm hm,” Tony nods. “Would you mind if I... if I just...”

As Tony trails off, he lets the cat hop off his lap, falling over on his side so his head ends up in Steve’s lap. Steve tries his best to coerce Tony off of him, but in a matter of seconds he can already hear snoring. Great. Awesome. Wonderful. There was a stranger laying asleep in his lap. Better yet—his phone was on the coffee table, just out of reach. He was helpless, so long as Tony slept.

 

-=-

 

Steve, out of sheer boredom, ends up falling asleep himself. However, when he’s jerked awake by an unwarranted visit from his cat, he finds Tony to be gone.

Steve blinks a few times, wearily, groggy. “Tony?” he calls to an empty apartment.

After a lack of response, Steve shrugs a shoulder, pushes the cat off him, stands and stretches, and checks the time on his watch. He had only slept for about three hours. It was still light outside, too.

Steve moves on from the bizarre experience easily, dismissing it as if nothing had ever happened. He goes on with life as usual. At least, he does for a bit longer than two weeks.

Steve’s peacefully cooking dinner, humming to himself when he hears a voice behind him say, “You make enough for two?”

Steve jumps, barely managing to not drop the ladle in the crockpot full of chili. He spins around, eyes wide, only to be greeted with the sight of Tony standing in his kitchen, appearing much more suave and put-together—and very clearly less loopy. The man is leaning on the island.

“Tony! How did you—“

“Transported. I told you, I’m from hell,” Tony raises an eyebrow.

Steve raises his free hand to his forehead to gauge his temperature. “Am I getting another fever or something? You can’t be serious this time—“

Tony chuckles, something deep and lovely. “Believe me, I’m being serious. I’m not even human.”

Steve laughs humourlessly, mostly in disbelief. “Now you’re just spewing lies.”

“This look like I’m lying to you?” Tony asks—then one moment he appears as any normal person might, the next he has small horns sprouting from his forehead and large bat-like wings protruding from his back.

Steve falters, mouth agape. _“Christ.”_

Tony tilts his head, “I think you have it the wrong way around.”

Steve blinks and the horns and wings are gone. Steve thinks he’s gone insane. His mouth is dry. After a moment, he hesitantly turns his back on Tony and towards the chili, to stir and turn off the pot. He takes a moment to recuperate and register what happened.

Tony sighs. “I came here to thank you. I mean, sure you wanted to kick me out of your apartment, but you didn’t and instead gave me an ice pack and let me sleep on your couch for an hour or two. So thank you. I’ll be on my way now. I can understand you not being cool with the whole demon thing. Many humans aren’t.”

By the time Steve manages a quiet, “No, wait,” he thinks he’s too late, but when he looks over his shoulder, Tony is still standing in his kitchen. Steve’s lip quirks upwards.

“Stay for dinner. I don’t usually end up finishing the chili before it goes bad or I’ve decided I’ve had enough of it. It might help to have another mouth.”

“Well,” Tony smiles. And after a beat, “Don’t mind if I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed, I had fun writing this! Any comments, criticisms, and kudos are appreciated! <3
> 
> here's the link to the original [tumblr post.](https://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/post/183803056726/you-get-home-to-find-a-demon-sitting-in-the-middle)


End file.
